Delivery Firms to be Liable for Vehicle Safety

[Drago]

Surely it would just be easier to ban the sales of the damn things rather than force responsibility onto businesses that the riders and bluff and bull sheet?

The bike the rider shows to the business isn't necessarily the one theyll be riding once theyre outmof view round the corner, and irs unfair that a diligent business thwt has done the requisite checks gets bent over for something a sly subcontractor has done behind their back.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Surely it would just be easier to ban the sales of the damn things

I've often asked myself how do the alleged black job market delivery riders get the funds to buy their bikes.
How do they maintain the bikes? Surely heavy use needs lots of bike consumables, not cheap I guess.
Who actually fixes those bikes? There are hardly any bike mechanic shops anymore, most of the ones still operating do not fix Ebikes.
Finally: where do they charge them or keep them overnight?
I wonder @Drago if there are other organizations that deal with those bikes, maybe the riders just rent them by the hour.

 

[bikingdad90]

My interpretation is, and I am not a lawyer or solicitor so I may have misinterpreted is that it is an amendment to section 15 of the original 2006 act where section 15 is about employment rights which is now so extending out to push ownership onto the instructing firm in the chain, therefore removing the excuse that they are a subcontractor so it’s not their problem.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/13/crossheading/employment

Similar provisions are in the slavery act, off payroll working (IR35 legislation) and the recent changes to the Criminal Corporate Offence Act.

 

[annedonnelly]

I've often asked myself how do the alleged black job market delivery riders get the funds to buy their bikes.
How do they maintain the bikes? Surely heavy use needs lots of bike consumables, not cheap I guess.
Who actually fixes those bikes? There are hardly any bike mechanic shops anymore, most of the ones still operating do not fix Ebikes.
Finally: where do they charge them or keep them overnight?
I wonder @Drago if there are other organizations that deal with those bikes, maybe the riders just rent them by the hour.

Not e-bikes but when I volunteered at the city-centre bike repair charity we'd regularly get delivery riders in to have a puncture repaired at £10 a shot. It never seemed economic to us, all the time they were waiting for the repair they were losing out on work. None of them ever seemed keen to learn how to fix it themself.

 

[Alex321]

Here you go, Alex. I'm guessing the operative part is 'chain of contracts' .

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/section/48

Which doesn't say anything about vehicles.

I read that, and the legislation it amends, before I posted the above.

All it is about is combating "employment" of people not permitted to work in the UK.

 

[Alex321]

My interpretation is, and I am not a lawyer or solicitor so I may have misinterpreted is that it is an amendment to section 15 of the original 2006 act where section 15 is about employment rights which is now so extending out to push ownership onto the instructing firm in the chain, therefore removing the excuse that they are a subcontractor so it’s not their problem.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/13/crossheading/employment

Similar provisions are in the slavery act, off payroll working (IR35 legislation) and the recent changes to the Criminal Corporate Offence Act.

Yes, that is exactly what it is. Though using the word "ownership" is maybe not the right one to use, though I think I understand what you mean. And section 15 of that Act is not about employment rights, it is about penalties for employing people subject to immigration control.

 

[Emanresu]

My interpretation is, and I am not a lawyer or solicitor so I may have misinterpreted is that it is an amendment to section 15 of the original 2006 act where section 15 is about employment rights which is now so extending out to push ownership onto the instructing firm in the chain, therefore removing the excuse that they are a subcontractor so it’s not their problem.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/13/crossheading/employment

Similar provisions are in the slavery act, off payroll working (IR35 legislation) and the recent changes to the Criminal Corporate Offence Act.

Perhaps a read across using Statutory Interpretation. New Labour were very good at this, seeding different laws with bits that could be read across to other older legislation. The average person may not see it, but the lawyers will.

 

[Mike Ayling]

Delivery riders for the food delivery companies are self employed, not employees. With that in mind, I doubt the companies will even bother about the possibility of a fine.

Self-employed i.e Contractors as stated.

 

[mjr]

Perhaps a read across using Statutory Interpretation. New Labour were very good at this, seeding different laws with bits that could be read across to other older legislation. The average person may not see it, but the lawyers will.

They usually at least mentioned it in some explanatory note or guidance, so it's disappointing if that's not been done this time.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Who actually fixes those bikes? There are hardly any bike mechanic shops anymore, most of the ones still operating do not fix Ebikes.

At 430 Victoria Road, there's a shop which only handles these non-EAPC delivery bikes. It's called Bike Central.